Folding ironing board



Jan. 22, 1929.

F. C. STARR ET AL FOLDING IRONING BOARD Filed Dec. 7. 1923' 01 5% M id60 6 M .v Z w Patented Jan. 22, 19.29.

l E D I *1 rates irnnnnuron casrann annianrnun a. WATERS, or cnrcaeo,rnmnois, assrenons ro naansrrc srnnr. oanrnnr COMPANY, or c'nrcaeo,rumors, A CORPORATION on ILLINOIS.

FOLDING mourns nonnn.

Application filed December 7, 1923.

This invention relates to folding tables and it has for one objectproviding a suitable i'olding table or board that can be suspended on awall or a door. For purposes of illustration we have described theinvention in this appli 'ation as relating to an ironing board, but itis to be understood that the invention applies also to other boards ortable tops.

Another object of the invention is to provide a suitable ironing boardor table top for use in small apartments where it is desired to fold theboard up and store it out of sight temporarily. To accomplish this theboard is suspended from a pantry or closet door and is arranged so thatit can be folded up against the door, and the door may then be closedwith the board on the inside so that it is out of the way; but it mayvery conveniently be swung into position for use by opening the door andunfolding the board.

Of the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation 01 a board open andready for use, and which embodies features of our invention; Fig. 2 isan elevation of the board closed; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the boardwhen open; Fig. i is a front elevation of the suspending and supportingmeans with the board open; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of theboard when in operative position.

in carrying out our invention a suitable door 10 is selected which maybe any door, such as ordinary pantry or closet door, and to one side ofthis door, preferably the inner side, a plate 11 is fixed at a suitableheight, and a table top or ironing board 12 is associated with the plate11, so that the board may be turned down for use as indicated in Fig. 1or folded up out of the way as indicated in'Fig. 2. The board whenturned down for use is supported by legs 13, the outer ends of which arepivoted to the board and the inner ends of which are supported by abracket 14, fixed to the plate 11 or in any other suitable mannersupported by the lower end of the plate 11. We prefer to pivot the lowerends of the legs 13 to the bracket 14 by means of pivoting brackets 15or in any other suitable manner. The board is pivotally and slidalolyassociated with the plate 11, so that it may be turned down to ahorizontal position; and the length of the legs 13 is such as to holdthe board firmly in this position. with reference to the door- In orSerial No, 679,083.

der to hold the door in its partly open position a door stop 16 may beused, which may be any ordinary type of door stop easily locked andunlocked by the foot, or an inclined leg 17 may be used which is pivotedto the board 12 and held angularly therewith by means of a chain 18 orby other suitable mechanism. The slanting position of the leg 17 holdsthe door from turning, and to assist in this a rubber foot 19 isprovided to prevent any slipping tendency on the floor and this footalso prevents injury to a carpet if one is used.

In order to allow for the use of a long board, such as an ironing board,and to have it pivotally associated with the door at a suitable height,we provide means for shifting the pivoted end of the board withreference to the door when the board isfolded. The means which wepreferfor this purpose comprise open topped guides 20 which are I fixedto the edges of the plate 11 near its lower end and extending upwardlysomewhat above the position of the end of the board when in use; and weprovide a bar 21, or other suitable guide means, the ends of which areslidably mounted in the guides 20; and this bar is connected to the endof the board 12 by means of a bracket 22. By this arrangement it will beapparent that the inner end of the board 12 may be slid downwardly withreference to the plate 11 when the board is folded, and this also allowsthe legs 13 to be folded with the board; and the legs themselves limitthe downward move: ment oi the board. 1

When the board is unfolded the inner end is moved upwardly and suitablemeans are provided for holding the inner end of the board at the properheight. Ne prefer for this purpose a stop 23 which is arranged toreceive a yielding lock 24: controlled by the spring 30. As the endofthe board is moved upwardly the slanting surface 25 of the lockstrikes against the lower edge of the stop 23 adjacent the upper end ofthe guides and the lock is forced outwardly until it passes over thestop 23; it then moves inwardly over the top of the stop and holds theboard from downward movement. The stop 23 is positioned slightly at oneside of the path of motion of the bracket 22, so as to allow the bracketand board to pass downward when the board is raised.

WVe claim as our invention:

An ironing board and supporting means therefor, said means comprising avertically mounted open topped uide, guide means fixed to one end ofsaid board, said means 5 slidably but removably coacting with saidguide, a support for said board, one end of said support being pivotallyassociated with the board at a point further from the slidable end ofsaid board than from the other end thereof, and releasable means forpreventing 10 downward movement of said guide means in said guide, saidguide means being free to move upwardly out of coaction with said guide.

In testimony whereof We hereunto set our 15 hands.

ARTHUR J. WATERS. FREDERICK C. STARR.

